NEWSMorgan Wallen Warns the 'Dark Side of the Music Industry' Can 'Suck the Soul' Out of Artists as He Fights for the Rights to His Old Tracks
Morgan Wallen opened up on the darker sides of the music industry as he continues to fight for the rights to previously unreleased songs that were shared on the album Stand Alone (10th Anniversary Deluxe Edition).
The "Last Night" singer stated he did not approve of the release and wanted to warn other musicians against making the same mistakes that he did as a young artist.
Morgan Wallen stated he's been fighting for rights to his old tracks for months.
"Back in 2014, I went to Florida to try my hand at making original music and songwriting for the first time. This led to a recording deal with a local investor and an artist management deal that I deeply regret," he shared in a lengthy statement published on Thursday, January 25.
"Unfortunately, I signed both deals without any legal representation," Wallen continued. "We made 13 songs. Some were OK, most were terrible as I was just learning how to write in general and figuring it all out."
Wallen said he 'deeply' regretted signing a business deal without legal representation.
"I was not the only collaborator, so many of these songs were not my idea nor to my standards," he clarified. "We deemed five of them worthy-enough to make the Stand Alone EP which includes a fan-favorite, 'Spin You Around.'"
"For months I've been exploring every avenue possible to acquire the rights to this old music and keep the quality of my catalogue consistent with songs I choose to release and believe in," he confessed. "It's gross, greedy and an example of how the dark side of the music business can suck the soul out of artists."
Wallen said he 'cringes' when he listens to some of the unapproved songs.
"I want you to know this is NOT my new music and I don't want to see this happen to anyone else," he said. "I cringe when I listen to these songs and I'm concerned my fans may mistakenly believe this is a new release by me."
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Wallen previously faced backlash for being caught using a racial slur in 2021.
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This comes weeks after Wallen admitted he'd put himself in a "bad spot" following facing backlash for using a racial slur while in the middle of a "72 hour bender" in 2021.
"There’s no excuse. I’ve never made an excuse. I never will make an excuse," the "Last Night" singer old a news outlet, noting the situation encouraged him to educate himself — with the help of the Nashville NAACP, the Black Music Action Coalition (BMAC) and BeBe Winans — and made him realize how much his "words matter."
